Hey bands...this is my personal site...to enter your band in "my friends" go to the RomanMusic bands: Kind Of Blue Music (jazz and blues) and The FUX (punk rock)
Male
51 years old
ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania
United States
Guitars, music, guitars, fire...and guitars on fire...and Ellie
Music
Jazz, Blues, Punk, Rock, Fusion. Not that "free" jazz or "avente garde" though...you have to actually know SOME theory...believe me I don't insist on much, but...some melodic content just to pull it together? Other than that, go for outer space man!
Movies
Crossroads (not the chick version) Blues Brothers, Pick Of Destiny, Little Big Man...any of the Tarentino films...and all of the Swarchzennager ( however it's spelled) movies.
Television
Not much....music related specials and stuff that's informative...which EXCLUDES the MTV usually. History channel, Modern Marvels and stuff.
Books
Biographies: Hendrix, Miles, Malcom X, G. Gordon Liddy, John Lennon, Marlon Brando. Currently reading the History of STAX Records, Dizzy
Heroes
Pat Martino, for becoming a great guitarist, suffering total amnesia, and relearning it all over again and becoming world recognized AGAIN! An incredible story, look into it!
About me: Jails, institutions, and death...I did all those things. Fortunately a light finally went on and I started getting the fog cleared out. Since then I've played Germany, Italy, England and the US with my punk band The FUX...play blues and jazz too with Kind Of Blue and Mad Dog & Blues Night Out. I'm opening for jazz great Pat Martino in February. (Don't know these names? Look them up on my friends list) I'm living proof you can come back from the edge and have a better life. Below is a quick slideshow of me recording bass tracks at the famous Avatar Studios in NYC, followed by my biography. Thanks for coming!
"He has potential, if only he would apply himself..." is what I was told on a regular basis. The problem was I didn't want to apply myself... to geography, or math anyway....................
I had a lot of music in my house though, there was a 45 record...Hound Dog...the Elvis one...that was cool. These Yeah Yeah Yeah guys came out, The Beatles. I had a big family and they all had records of their eras: 78's, 45's, the LP. Big bands, jazz, rock, R&B, Funk, Fusion...I ruined all those records.....................................................................................................................Jamming with jam band master Steve Kimock:
...................................I started lessons when I was about 10. I borrowed my older brothers 1954 Gibson, an ES-125 (with a single P-90 pickup.) I was only in seventh grade when I was accepted in the local Community College's summer program for Arts & Music. I had a four hour major of arts in the morning, and a three hour minor of music, which included an hour of piano theory, an hour of guitar theory, and one hour of synthesizer...very cool! I saw a Hendrix impersonator and was hooked - the Electric Guitar was amazing. I had a Fender Mustang feeding back through a Heathkit homemade tube amp the very next day.
I finally graduated from High School by the skin of my teeth. By now I had been expelled every year from 7th grade on. I already had a police record. I was hanging with the wrong crowd: partying wanna - be musicians.............................................................................................................................................
Here's me and some friends relaxing at a jam in Sellersville, PA:
..................................................................I moved down to Philadelphia to begin guitar lessons with Calvin Harris, a no-nonsense brother teaching in West Philly. From Calvin I learned a unique system for learning and teaching. It is the method I use today. I moved back to Allentown at my dad's persistent plea to "do something" with my life and graduated with electronics degree from Lincoln Tech. I learned how to fix all my gear, but again, passed by doing the bare minimum. I started some garage/kid/punk bands: The CREEPS, ARTFUL DODGER, PANIC ATTACKS, the HEAT MERCHANTS.
But a lot of the bands I saw and looked up to in my hometown were into "the party" - alcohol and drugs, and so were a lot of the places that booked them. It was a real unhealthy scene but it was pretty accepted. It was the social norm from the hippie - 70's - era fallout. Many venues' business' were based on it, they relied on it and encouraged it. That was fine with me...I was happy to play and party...but eventually the party was more important than anything else...including friends and family.
I fell out of the actual professional music scene. I floated from job to job, band to band, and party to party...always ending up in one holding cell after another................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................I served some time, and I have to admit this because:
1) It is my history and a matter of public record, and
2) It had a profound effect on my life...one I sincerely hope nobody has to go through.
Eventually, as a hard core drug addict more than a musician and stealing to support a habit, I was finally arrested and sentenced to multiple sentences of 1-5 years. It was ironically the best thing my anguished parents could have hoped for: now at least they knew where I was, and that I was alive. Their only consolation once they found out what prison I was in was a counselor telling them "Oh don't worry, nobody has been killed here yet."
But don't think I changed just because I went to prison...half my gang was in there. I was in a prison gang in no time shaking down other inmates, paying off guards, and continuing my habit. No joke, this was the big time and I was fine. Making money, getting high, watching cable TV...until I realized...this is as far as it goes. For this lifestyle, I had peaked. I made it. I decided to quit all gang activity, got in the prison drug and alcohol program, even started a music program and art program. This all impressed the judge, and I got early release after serving two years.................................................................................................................
.....................................................................I was literally told I had no future, expect to only have dead-end jobs, and that I'd be back in prison. I was on state parole for years to come. But I was so grateful to be out...to feel a breeze...smell clean air, to see a tree...feel the sun and rain...I was determined that nothing would knock me off my square and put me back there. I got the dead end job...stayed off the junk, reported to parole, put my only spare money down on a used guitar in the local pawn shop, and started looking around for a band. I followed the advice of those I could admire. This time I was determined to make MUSIC THE PRIORITY. Not drugs, not alcohol, not girls, gangs, or "easy money". That was in 1996....................................................................................................................
Since then, I've been on many stages, met famous people, been in different cities, states, and countries, and have many wonderful experiences. I have met wonderful people who were positive influences and role models in my life and I try to keep them close and value them greatly. I'm extremely grateful and lucky to have a second chance.
Who I'd like to meet: George Benson, Eddie Van Halen, Kenny Burrell, and Pat Martino...again. That's a never ending study course.
Roman--I hope that all is well and that you're having a great holiday season! Have a happy new year and I hope to hear you play again sometime in the near futur..friend of Woody's, former girlfriend of Barry Kelvy)
questoin...that boss wah pedal you have...is that a pretty gig worthy pedel? I was thinking of getting a wah..and that one seems pretty practical..do you use it when you play out? right now I have this shitty digitech rp80 and the wah stuff is pretty weak
